Hollow-building-wall construction



. Oct. 6, 1925.

F. HEATH HOLLOW BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug, 15, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Em Umm l] UHU UID I] Oct. 6l 1925.

F. HEATH Y HOLLOW BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15. 1921* Oct. e, 1925.

F. HEATH HOLLOW BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug, 15, 1921 4' Sheets-Sheet 4 '72 ifa-fz Patented Oct. 6, 1925.-

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFIcE.

HOLLOW-BUILDING-WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Application led August 15, 1921. Serial' No. 492,344.

To all whom t may concern.'v i y j Be it known t-hatI, FnEnERrcK HEATH, a

f citizen vof the UnitedStates; residing at Tamade up of hollow building blocks or tile.

to make walls of a load bearing type. l have previously been. granted a patenten one of the elements forming a part of my present general combination namely United States Patent No. 1,403,953 and another Pat` ent No. 1,453,837 on a-pilasterconstruction.

' Another application Serial No. 492,343

shows a still different arrangement of elements.

The present invention consists of a novel arrangement of the least number of building blocks grouped into combination to form in the simplest manner, every `element of such hollow load bearing `building walls having certain characteristics of value to obtain uniformity throughout all parts of the wall.

Among the objects of the invention are nthe provision. of simple blocks of a minimum number of shapes, and the arrangement of these hollow blocks so that their corelation in the wall sha-ll invariably develop .the maximum strength of the mortar bed. That is, the mortar bed is of maximum obtainable lighter than solid masonry and the saving in l wall weight on the mortar beds may be added in the form of roof and floor loads.

Considered as a system of wall construction, my hollow wallhas among its special advantages and characteristics, the feature of even, continuous, uniform courses of I masonry separated by horizontal mortar` beds extending as a flat surface through the wall, while each course is interbonded by alternate overlapping of certain blocks of i each course; with corresponding blocks of .the' coursesabove and below. This even horizontal mortar bed remains continuous, with` the result tliatthe mason has a Hat surface on which to begin his next course, throughout the entire construction. Pilasters may be built of my blocks, running upwardly along the wall, interbonded therewith, and complete as to ea'ch course, the same height as the rest of the wall; the corner blocks. complete their portion of the course as each course isinished; the same is true of window and door jambs and similar parts of the wall construct-ion. My system lends itself readily toofsets, chases and the like, without at any point disturbing the uniform characteristics of alternately bonded courses and horizontal mortar beds.

In other forms of wall construction of the hollow block, load bearing type, wefind one or more of these characteristics lackin For example, thefeature of the fia-t horizontal mortar beds is lacking where alternating or interlocking bonds (that, is, overlapping blocks) are provided, or special constructions are required, such as the cutting or shaping of many forms of block or tile, withv corresponding difiiculties of building into the wall'atthe corners, pilasters, jambs,-etc. Perhaps the most., important characteristic of my building construction is that in the main body of the wall, as well as at all corners, jambs, pilasters, etc., vertical webs of all the blocks are brought automatically into true vertical planes with corresponding webs of the courses above and below. l Such a building wall has other advantages, usually sacriiced for one reason or another in hollow title wall construction, but efficiently obtained in my construction,ssuh as the pronounced insulating characteristics due to the large number of hollow spaces or voids in the wall, which are effectively closed against circulation of air therein. An incident to the construction of a wall 4thicker than the width of the double block, is that there is -no point in my wall construction where the vertical joints between' abutting -ends of blocks extend entirely through the wall transversely.k .l A more specificl object is to so construct Athese blocks that they may be, made by eXt-ruding the clay through dies having the characteristics of. being balanced, Athat is, so shaped that the clay may flow evenly therethrough, and so that the column of -material formed by' such a continuous `jects include the design and corelation of these blocks so that two forms of dies shall provide blocks for a complete wall. Four individual kinds of blocks are obtained with the same dies by dividing the column ot material extruded from the double block die to Jform single blocks, or by arranging the cutter to cut either form of blocks into half lengths.

My system of building wall construction is based on a theme of two forms ofI blocks known as the three-void.v or double| tile block and the pilaster block, both of which are arranged to be divided longitudinally to form single blocks of substantially half the width. This division is accomplished either by the mason breaking the blocks at the wall by striking with a masons trowel or hammer, or by severing means used while forming the clay at the die.

My invention includes other advantages of wall construction such as the convenient construction of simple forms of very rigid, load bearing lintels, the reinforcing of the wall by iron rods without disturbing the relationships above set forth, and many other `characteristics which will become apparent in the following description referring to th drawings hereof. The essential characteristics-of my invention, wherein it differs from prior forms of hollow wall` construction, are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a section through a building having load bearing walls constructed in accordance with my in` vention, and in which the walls themselves support the structure. Fig. 2 is a perspectiye of several courses of a wall having various characteristics of theinvention, the upperrnost course and certain appended portions being raised for clearness of illustra-V 4 tion; Fig. `3 is aperspective of one of the double unittile blocks employed in my wall; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a single tile unit; lFj1g..5 1s a perspective of a pilaster block inthe nature of a double unit; Fig. 6 is a perspective of alintel constructed of double and single units shown in Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 7 is a plan ofthe, same; Fig. '8 is in the nature of a vertical section through a pilaster, the blocks which are cut being shown receding from the plane of the section in perspective; Fig. 9 is a similar sectional perspective through an end of the wall along a plane just inside the vertical outer shells of the end blocks; Fig. 10 is a similar section taken just within the outside shells of the blocks of a corner; Fig. 11 is a similar section taken through a pilaster, showing a reinforcingarrangement built into the wall; Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional plane showing a window jamb construction and an adjacent pilaster construction.

I will irst describe the blocks used in my system of wall construction andas illustrated in Figs. 3, el. and 5. or double unit block designated 1, shown in Fig. 3, is a member rectangular in cross section, of a suitable length determinedby relationships to be hereinafter set out, and having three voids comprising two voids of substantially equal size. designated Q, and a central narrow void 3 between parallel webs designated Il. The webs 4 are of the same thickness as the corresponding shell or wall members 5, and these vertical members are all termed integral with the fiat top and bottom sides which are of substantially the saine thickness as the shells and webs.

The single unit shown in Fig. 4 is desig` nated 6 and comprises side walls or webs, and top and bottom walls, and is of a size to correspond to substantially one-half of the double block. Thus the double block is the equivalent ot two single blocks, plus the space or void 3 which is equal tothe usual mortar space between bricks or blocks in established masonary` practice.

The block designated 7 in Fig. 5, which I term my pilaster block, is rectangular in cross section, having a thickness approximately equal to the single block, a length equal to the width of the double block, and a height equal to the height of the double block with a group of voids so arranged as to make the block divisible into two portions by reason of a narrow slot or void extending transversely, centrally of the block and equal in width to the space or mortar joint between two blocks. The vertically disposed parallel voids 9 are separated by longitudinal and transverse webs. Such blocks are shown, described and claimed in another form of wall construction as embodied in my lPatent 1,215,149 granted Feb. 6, 1917. y

The shells and webs of this pilasi er block are ot' substantially uniform thickness. but it will be noted that the central or median void 8 extends outwardly into the outer shell` maintaining the normal width of this void thus while producing a weakened portion by reason of which the block may be more The base unit readily divided by a blow of the trowel or hammer. This pilaster block is shown in my application No, 37 8,056, led May 1st, 1920.

It will he noted that the size and shape of the blocks described are such that when placed in their natural position with the outer walls or surfaces thereof in alignment, that there will be alignment. of webs between the voids, that is, for example, the .length of the pilaster block is such that when placed transversely over the double block the webs at each side of the slot 8 will align with the webs 4 at each side of the slot 3. Placed in the other direction one-half of the pilaster block has webs aligning with the webs 4 and 5, while the void 8 stands overthe space between the shell 5 and the adjacent block. The single block 6 will naturally occupy a position where its shells stand over either set of webs 4 or 5 of a double block. The length, height and thickness of these units are such that this automatic alignment, plus the assembling inA the wall by even, horizontal, complete courses is possible as will be hereinafter described.

As the present invention is concerned particularly with a system of building construction, T may illustrate the adaptability of my block units to such a construction for the various requirements of a building by reference to Fig. 1, which shows a building of a load bearing type, that is, the walls carry the loads of the walls and floors and whatever may be carried by the floors. In this ligure the walls lO'and 11 are indicated as an outside and an inside wall, respectively, at'their lower portion being the width or thickness of two double units wherefore two double units occupy one course and the next course as a single, a double and a single unit. These walls are shown as resting on an suitable foundation, as at 12,while 13 indicates a lower floor. In these'walls may be provided openings, as at 15. A short distance up the wall, that is, at thetop of the rst story, the wall is shown as continued upwardly at a thickness of a double and a single unit, which in ordinary practice would be about a twelve inch wall, also having windows, 'as at 15. Floor beams or joists 18, carrying suitable flooring 19 may rest upon the shoulder formed by the offset at the change in the thickness of the wall, or upon carriers indicated at 2O which are stirrups having lips set into the wall at the mortar joint and forming a socket embracing the end of the joist or beam. At 21 isV indicated a door opening which may correspond to any such opening. The construction at the window and door openings, corners, pilasters and jambs will now be illustrated by more 4detailed reference to Fig. 2. This ligure illustrates a wall of three unit width, that is, the width of a double and a single unit.

The frat @curse may comprise full length double units, laid horizontally end to end and separated by the mortar joint, and alongside of this, a corresponding longitudinal row of single units full length, separated from the double units by the usual mortar joints. This mortar space is determined by the usual habits of masonry, for example, workmen learn to establish this distance by fitting the fingers into this joint while placing the block in position.

The next course may comprise a double unit placed over the single unit and onehalf of the adjacent double unit. When so placed the exterior of the course aligns with that of the course below and the vertical mortar joint of thecourse below comes directly beneath the central joint of the double block. Tocomplete this course, a single unit may be used which is spaced from the double unit as before and embedded into the Hat mortar bed below, and the space between the double and single unit of /this course is directly over the central void of the double unit in the course below. Thus, the outer lshells of the wall lie in vertical planes and form load bearing members,-

while each of the vertical webs on the interior of the wall standl over corresponding vertical webs of the blocks above and below.

The construction at a corner may be completed very simply by placing a block 7 opposite the end of the double block in one course and thus completing the corner. Now, for the next course, a block 7 is placed one-half over the lirst block 7 with onJe corner at the corner of the wall, and eX- tending at right' angles to the direction of the block 7 below it so that the central void of the block 7 stands overthe joint between the block 1 and the block 7 below it. Onehalf of the block has its webs and shell in alignment with one-half of the block below and the block above. Thus every course is completed at the corner `by members clos ing the longitudinal voids and completino the natural masonry bond by each block 7 overlapping the corresponding block and a block such as l or 6.

It it be desired to make pilasters such as shown at 25, Fig. 2, twoof the blocks 7 are placed in a position to overlap corresponding longitudinal Ablocks ina course below and have their inner sides or ends spaced from a double block 1 wherefore the outer half of the blocks 7 will project in` wardly from thev surface of the wall, the

course above the bottom course will stand over the corresponding block 7, lying parallel with the blocks 1 or 2 of the courses below and above. Thus such pilaster is formed by a block 7 placed parallel with a block 1 or v6 and projecting from the surface of the wall, while at the next course, two blocks 7, separated by a mortar joint, Stand @Yer the bleek.. 7 and a bloei.; l or Q in the wall. Thus when the blocks are in position and the mortar is placed, the pilaster is tied by such overlapping into the wall at every course and the load bearing characteristics are established to a maximum amount. The reason being that the Webs and shells of the block 7 are so spaced that they stand over the corresponding webs and shells of a similar block or halt block, or they stand over the shells ot a block 6, or the webs and shells. 4 and 5 of a block 1.

Any extensions or multiples of size ot pilaster may be made varying in width by the distance of the transverse width of one block 7. This is illustrated in the pilaster 26 of Fig. 2, where it will be seen that one block 7 is laid parallel with the face of the wall, spaced therefrom by a mortar joint and another block 7 is turned at right angles thereto in the same course with the inner haltI projecting into the wall a distance equivalent to the thickness of one block 6. ln the neXt course above, a block 7 is placed over the outer halt of the block atright angles to the wall and over the adjacent half of block 7, parallel with the wall, wherefore its median void stands over the mortar joint between the end and side respectively of the blocks 7 below, while the pilaster is completed for this next course by turning the block 7 inwardly into the Wall as before, but, at the opposite coiner of the pilaster.` This forms a bond at each course and the median voids of the pilaster come over the mortar joints while their webs and shells align with webs and shells of the blocks 7, 6 or 1 in adjacent relationships. To insure procurement of the longitudinal bonding of the blocks in the body of the wall, it may be necessary to use a half length single block as shown at 6a in Fig. 2, so that at no point does the vertical mortar jointl of any course extend through the wall transversely. Where the pilaster is being made alongside a double block 1 as in the raised course in Fig. 2, one of the blocks 7 is divided by the mason and placed in the position shown at 7a, this block also being spaced by mortar joints from the adjacent block 7, and the adjacent longitudinal block 6 again establishes the vertical alignment ot webs and shells.

lin order to make a door jamb or a wall end, a construction similar to the corner construction may be used as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 2. Here one block 7 closes and stands opposite the end of a block 1 and another block 7 in the same course is laid longitudinally as shown. ln the course above, the block 7 bridges the two blocks 7 below and closes a double block or a block 6a having the same cross section as the block 6 but one-half itsflength while the other block 7 is laid. longitudinally of the wall, bridging the outer halt of the block opening a distance of a half block plus the mortar joint. On the courses above and below the block 7 is laid longitudinally overlapping the block 6 and a blockV 7 is laid crosswise as shown at the left in Fig. 2 bridging the two blocks 7 in the course below and closing the ends of a block 6, and a part of the block 1 thus bonding longitudinally and transversely. Here again in the vertical and longitudinal alignment of the webs and shells is preserved. ln this yligure, 30 indicates the glass of a window having ythe usual casing construction indicated at 31 extending around the inside ot' the wall and standing against the inner side of the reveal and against the inner sidev of the wall. rllhese window casings are of certain standard dimensions which usually correspond precisely with the unit dimensions of my blocks, that is, the width or double the width of the blocks 7.

At the top of the window the load is carried by a bridge construction known as a lintel. rllhese lintels are formed as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and may be made of any width. Such lintels are shown described and claimed er se in my Patent No. 1,244,328 granted ct. 23, 1919. When of the width of a double and single block, these blocks are set alternately opposite single blocks in longitudinal alignment and separated by the mortar joints. filled with concrete or like material and rods 35 are run through the blocks adjacent the lower shells, whereby the central rod extending through the inner sides ot all ot the double blocks, bind these blocks securely into position, while the two outer rods `eX- tend through the outer side of the double blocks and through the void of the single blocks, thus forming a unitary rigid structure. The rods may be roughened or caused by other means to be firmly embedded or gripped by the concrete or like material and thus become reinforcing tension members at the lower side of a supportlng beam.

Such lintels are made of aV length ygreat enough to bridge the window opening and extend onto the course ot blocks ateach side thereof. The lintels thus complete the course, extendin across the top ot the Window opening, an form a very rigid support for the wall portion carried above the lintel member. lt will be noted that the webs of the lintel blocks also come in alignment These blocks are then great disturbances, I may use rods such as at 40 running vertically through the motar spaces between longitudinal blocks of one course and between the endsof blocks of the nextcourse. And I` may run similar rods through the median voids and mortar joints longitudinally of the courses as indi- I cated at 42. These rods become embedded in the mortar and form strong tension members stiflening the entire wall structure, and additionally connect, i. e., key, one course to the neXt to prevent lateral shifting of blocks. This construction is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 11 showing the manner in which it may be used whenever desired.v The details of this feature are shown described and claimed in my Patent N o. 1,319,336 .granted Oct. 21, 1919.

Summarizing the features of my system, l have essentially a theme of wall construction based on two forms of blocks, -onenor mally adapted to lie in the wall longitudinally and the other to stand vertically. The

system includes the relationship of the blocks in relative proportions such that a width of the double longitudinal block corresponds to the length of the double vertical block; all half blocks have the same width; the distances between shells and voids are universally the same; the height of the vertical blocks is equivalent to the height of the longitudinal blocks; and both sets of double blocks have a median void with transverse webs at either side thereof to correspond toV morta-r joints between blocks above and below; wherefore a load carrying wall 'may be constructed in which all of the courses have a ruiming bond.

Each cou-rse includes vertical and horizontal blocks of the same height whereby as each course is finished it presents an even horizontal mortar bed throughout its length and width, the same surface being carried through pilasters, corners, jambs and end wall construction. Throughout the entire wall at all these places, the jambs, pilasters and corners are uniformly bonded, and all the blocks are hollow while the vertical webs and shells ali n with corresponding webs and shells in t e blocks above ard below without exception in the entire structure.

Without sacrificing anyl of the above very desirable features, the wall may be reinforced as shown. The simplicity of the uniformly rectangular blocks, the nature of the cross section of such blocks, and the fact that there `are only two forms of blocks, .ac-

complishes `the `,fo1lowing economies: slmple cheap dies through which the clay is extruded the elimination of difficulties at the dies by reason of accomplishing the even iow of the materialy therethrough; the convenience in handling and burning of the ware; the elimination of waste vduring the burning; the convenience of handling and building into the building by reason o f the minimum numberl of blocks; eliminating dificulties for the architect and contractor; facilitating the .actual masonry work at the building.

The length of' the longitudinal blocks with'rrelation to the width of the pilaster blocks is determined in a manner. not to interfere with the running bond and the following three dimensions,.thickness of the vertical void blocks, the length of these blocks, and the length of the longitudinal blocks all have a definite relation, i. e., considering the iirst as a unit, the second equals two and the third, that is the length of the longitudinal blocksAv equals three. This dimensional unit is determined by a convenient unit of measure used by the architect to conform to normal standard dimensions between windows, corners, pilasters and so forth, whereby the transverse cutting of the blocks as the building is being constructed is practically eliminated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A building hollow `wall construction, comprising hollow blocks throughout, arranged 1n courses and having even continuous horizontal mortar beds, each course having one or more three void-blocks having side and intermediate load bearing webs, the intermediate webs being separated by a median longitudinal void, and each course including blocks having vertical voids with webs and shells spaced apart distances corresponding to the spacing of the webs and shells of the three void blocks, each block in the structurebeing preferably arranged in overlapping relation with blocks in courses above and below to provide a bonded struc ture, all of the load bearing webs and shells of the two forms of blocks throughout `the entire wall construction includingcorners and pilasters lying in true vertical planes and forming continuous vertical compression members throughout the entire structure.`

2. `A wall structure having j ambs, corners,

formed of hollow load bearing tile characterized in that the jambs, corners, pilastersy '120 pilasters and horizontal running courses block having a centrally formed void corresponding to the central void in the threevoid block, the corners, jambs and pilasters of the wall structure being formed of the multivoid blocks, setin the wall with the voids thereof extending vertically and with the courses thereof coincident with the horizontal courses of the three void block, the multivoid blocks being incorporated in the wall structure with the webs and shells of both forms of blocks in vertical alignment with the load bearing portions of the three void blocks in the courses above and below.

3. A building construction in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that the three void blocks and the pilaster blocks are so proportioned that in each course the median voids of such blocks stand over vertical mortar joints of blocks above and below, or over corresponding median voids of blocks above and below.

4. A building construction having a main wall structure, consisting of three void blocks and single void blocks in alternate relationship in each course and in running bond relationship with the courses above and below, and vertical void blocks of a length equivalent to the width of the three void blocks and a height equivalent to the height of the three void blocks laying horizontally, whereby the vertical void blocks may close the ends of the voids of the three void blocks and form corner constructions and overlap' and bond in the structure throughout, the webs and. shells of both forms of blocks being in true vertical alignment in the main body of the wall as well as at the corners.

5. A building construction in the nature of a hollow wall having pilasters formed of hollow blocks whereby the wall blocks are of one form or a division thereof and the pilastcrs are of another form -or division thereof, the proportions of the blocks being such that the pilaster blocks are equal in height and have a length equal to the width of the wall blocks and whereby they may extend into the wall construction and over- 'lap the wall blocks in at least every second course and the other blocks are bonded by iorcmg rows and concrete occupying the void and extending over pilaster blocks and wall blocks at either end and the webs and shells making up the lintels aligning with the vertical webs and shells of the blocks above and below.

ln testimony whereof, li hereunto aiiix my signature.

FREDERICK HEATH. 

